Foden thanks Southgate for keeping faith in him following double against Iceland
Last Updated: November 19, 2020 3:53 pm
Best of friends
Much criticism has come Gareth Southgate’s way for his passive tactics of late, without enough impetus on offensive play. His side’s 4-0 rout of Iceland, though, will go some way towards regaining support and momentum.
Declan Rice and Mason Mount started England’s latest outing together, and both scored. Highly-regarded West Ham midfielder Rice spoke of his happiness, both from a personal standpoint and for his lifelong friend, after the game:
“We have been best mates since we were eight years old. We have seen each others’ journeys and seen each other grow.
“Before the game when we knew we were playing in midfield together, that was a special moment, and then to score in the same game was incredible. I know my family and his family will be bursting with pride at home.”
🤝❤️ | From being best friends at eight-years-old to starting together for England and getting on the scoresheet!
This post-match interview from Mason Mount and Declan Rice is some really wholesome content…🦁🦁🦁 pic.twitter.com/ZmrcZVjlH3
— Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) November 18, 2020
The possibility of Rice and Mount playing together on a weekly bases in the near future is not out of the question. Chelsea have reportedly shown significant interest in bringing Rice to Stamford Bridge, with close friend Mount a potential pull for the Blues
Foden thanks Southgate
Phil Foden’s double on Wednesday represents a strong turnaround for the Manchester City midfielder. Sent home following the reverse fixture in Reykjavik for breaking quarantine rules, the 20-year-old lashed home his second this time around to cap off a brilliant performance:
What a night for Phil Foden! 🔥
The #MCFC man opens his England account with two goals against Iceland – including this effort from outside the box! 🎯pic.twitter.com/wqDHNlCIDz
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) November 18, 2020
Speaking after the clash, the City youngster was full of praise for coach Southgate.
“It was one of the hardest moments of my life. That’s the time you need the trust of your managers and Gareth had a lot of respect for me, to trust me to play tonight,” Foden said, recalling the aforementioned incident in Iceland.
“I am just happy to repay him with the goals and play well. I was just determined to get back and do the best I can. I was a bit nervous at the start but I got used to it.”
England goalscorers Mount, Foden and Rice are all of 21 years of age or under, highlighting the talented youth blossoming throughout the Three Lions setup. Bukayo Saka and Jadon Sancho provide further exciting prospects for Southgate.
Following a humbling at the hands of Belgium, it was evident that tactical changes were needed for England. And, on the evidence of the country’s latest performance, such changes have not taken long in coming to fruition.
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This article was edited by Conor Laird.
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| 2 | Manchester City FC | 18 | 18 | 38 |
| 3 | Leicester City FC | 19 | 14 | 38 |
| 4 | Liverpool FC | 18 | 16 | 34 |
| 5 | Tottenham Hotspur FC | 18 | 16 | 33 |
| 6 | Everton FC | 17 | 7 | 32 |
| 7 | West Ham United FC | 19 | 5 | 32 |
| 8 | Chelsea FC | 19 | 10 | 29 |
| 9 | Southampton FC | 18 | 5 | 29 |
| 10 | Arsenal FC | 19 | 4 | 27 |
| 11 | Aston Villa FC | 16 | 11 | 26 |
| 12 | Leeds United | 18 | -4 | 23 |
| 13 | Crystal Palace FC | 19 | -11 | 23 |
| 14 | Wolverhampton Wanderers FC | 19 | -8 | 22 |
| 15 | Newcastle United FC | 18 | -12 | 19 |
| 16 | Brighton & Hove Albion FC | 19 | -7 | 17 |
| 17 | Burnley FC | 17 | -13 | 16 |
| 18 | Fulham FC | 18 | -12 | 12 |
| 19 | West Bromwich Albion | 19 | -28 | 11 |
| 20 | Sheffield United FC | 19 | -22 | 5 |
| Player | Team | Goals |
|---|---|---|
| Salah, Mohamed | Liverpool FC | 13 |
| Kane, Harry | Tottenham Hotspur FC | 12 |
| Son, Heung Min | Tottenham Hotspur FC | 12 |
| Fernandes, Bruno | Manchester United FC | 11 |
| Vardy, Jamie | Leicester City FC | 11 |
| Calvert-Lewin, Dominic | Everton FC | 11 |
| Bamford, Patrick | Leeds United | 10 |
| Zaha, Wilfried | Crystal Palace FC | 8 |
| Wilson, Callum | Newcastle United FC | 8 |
| Rashford, Marcus | Manchester United FC | 7 |
| Ings, Danny | Southampton FC | 7 |
| Maupay, Neal | Brighton & Hove Albion FC | 7 |
| Lacazette, Alexandre | Arsenal FC | 7 |
| Mane, Sadio | Liverpool FC | 6 |
| Maddison, James | Leicester City FC | 6 |
| Watkins, Ollie | Aston Villa FC | 6 |
| Barnes, Harvey | Leicester City FC | 6 |
| Abraham, Tammy | Chelsea FC | 6 |
| Grealish, Jack | Aston Villa FC | 5 |
| Sterling, Raheem | Manchester City FC | 5 |
| Player | Team | Red Cards | Yellow Cards |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bellerin, Hector | Arsenal FC | 0 | 6 |
| Gallagher, Conor | West Bromwich Albion | 0 | 6 |
| Bissouma, Yves | Brighton & Hove Albion FC | 1 | 5 |
| Egan, John | Sheffield United FC | 1 | 5 |
| Hayden, Isaac | Newcastle United FC | 0 | 6 |
| McGinn, John | Aston Villa FC | 0 | 5 |
| Reid, Bobby | Fulham FC | 0 | 5 |
| Doucoure, Abdoulaye | Everton FC | 0 | 5 |
| Romeu, Oriol | Southampton FC | 0 | 5 |
| Dunk, Lewis | Brighton & Hove Albion FC | 1 | 4 |
| Phillips, Kalvin | Leeds United | 0 | 5 |
| Cash, Matty | Aston Villa FC | 0 | 5 |
| Evans, Jonny | Leicester City FC | 0 | 5 |
| Lundstram, John | Sheffield United FC | 1 | 4 |
| Kante, N`Golo | Chelsea FC | 0 | 5 |
| Milivojevic, Luka | Crystal Palace FC | 1 | 4 |
| Fernandes, Bruno | Manchester United FC | 0 | 4 |
| Grealish, Jack | Aston Villa FC | 0 | 4 |
| Ward-Prowse, James | Southampton FC | 0 | 4 |
| Tielemans, Youri | Leicester City FC | 0 | 4 |
| Player | Team | Assists |
|---|---|---|
| Kane, Harry | Tottenham Hotspur FC | 11 |
| De Bruyne, Kevin | Manchester City FC | 9 |
| Fernandes, Bruno | Manchester United FC | 7 |
| Grealish, Jack | Aston Villa FC | 7 |
| Son, Heung Min | Tottenham Hotspur FC | 6 |
| Rashford, Marcus | Manchester United FC | 5 |
| Robertson, Andrew | Liverpool FC | 5 |
| Digne, Lucas | Everton FC | 5 |
| Vardy, Jamie | Leicester City FC | 4 |
| Ward-Prowse, James | Southampton FC | 4 |
| Werner, Timo | Chelsea FC | 4 |
| Adams, Che | Southampton FC | 4 |
| Harrison, Jack | Leeds United | 4 |
| Chilwell, Benjamin | Chelsea FC | 4 |
| McGinn, John | Aston Villa FC | 4 |
| Cresswell, Aaron | West Ham United FC | 4 |
| Salah, Mohamed | Liverpool FC | 3 |
| Ings, Danny | Southampton FC | 3 |
| Sterling, Raheem | Manchester City FC | 3 |
| Firmino, Roberto | Liverpool FC | 3 |
